Question

These are the names of several generations of Satavahana rulers, recovered from inscriptions. Note the uniform title raja. Also note the following word, which ends with the term puta, a Prakrit word meaning “son”. The term Gotami-puta means “son of Gotami”. Names like Gotami and Vasithi are feminine forms of Gotama and Vasistha, Vedic seers after whom gotras were named. raja Gotami-puta Siri-Satakani raja Vasithi-puta (sami-) Siri-Pulumayi raja Gotami-puta sami-Siri-Yana-Satakani raja Madhari-puta svami-Sakasena raja Vasathi-puta Chatarapana-Satakani raja Hariti-puta Vinhukada Chutukulanamda-Satakamni raja Gotami-puta Siri-Vijaya- Satakani

How many Gotami-putas and how many Vasithi (alternative spelling Vasathi)-putas are there?

Answer 1

There are three Gotami-putas and two Vasithi-putas listed in the Satavahana inscriptions. The three Gotami-putas include rulers Siri-Satakani, Sami-Siri-Yana-Satakani, and Siri-Vijaya-Satakani. The two Vasithi-putas (including the alternative spelling Vasathi) are kings (sami-) Siri-Pulumayi and Chatarapana-Satakani. The remaining two kings in the text belong to entirely different metronymic lines.